Thank you for your support of the WNBA Breast Health Auction, benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The 2000 All-Star MVP will play in her fifth game this year

Four for Five: Tina Thompson

As the WNBA celebrates the fifth anniversary of the WNBA All-Star Game (Saturday, July 12, 4 ET, ABC), WNBA.com will celebrate the five women who have played in all four WNBA All-Star Games.

In our inaugural installment, we look at Houston Comets All-Star forward Tina Thompson. It's appropriate that we start with Thompson considering she is one of two players (Teresa Weatherspoon is the other) to start of all four All-Star Games. (Chamique Holdsclaw has also been voted to start in the four All-Star Games, but did not play in the last two because of injury.) This year, Thompson again will start for the Western Conference.

See what Thompson, who was named the All-Star Game MVP in 2000, had to say before and after her experiences in the WNBA's midsummer classic.

Next installment: New York Liberty guard Teresa Weatherspoon

WNBA All-Star 1999: New York City

What she said before the All-Star Game:
"This is great. I think to be part of the Inaugural All-Star Game is great. We're definitely making history right here today. So this i going to be a lot of fun for us and I hope that all of the girls enjoy it. I know that we're going to be competing against each other, but this should be a fun time for all of us. I hope we all do have a great time."

What she said after the All-Star Game:
"It was a lot of fun. I think I've actually lost a little bit of my voice, but I had a great time. Everyone played well, everybody on our team got to score and everyone was really happy. And I think that that was the most important part -- that we had fun."

Tina's Stats: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 turnovers in 14 minutes

WNBA All-Star 2000: Phoenix

What she said before the All-Star Game:
"It's great and so much fun [to be named a starter]. I had such a good time last year in New York for our Inaugural All-Star Game. It's an honor to be selected again as a starter simply because it just shows that the hard work I've put in is paying off. It's definitely a positive feeling."

What she said after the All-Star Game:
"I think I was just overwhelmed or excited with the fact that I was named MVP. When you come to games like this, anyone can win the MVP on this team. We have so many great players that do so many great things for their team. And to come in a game like this it's hard to be an individual."

Tina's Stats: 13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals in 23 minutes

WNBA All-Star 2001: Orlando

What she said before the All-Star Game:
"It means a lot. It signifies the work that we've all put in, not just this season, but in the offseason to ut ourselves in the position we're in right now. It's a lot of fun too, playing with the players we play against on a nightly basis, and these are some of the best players in the world, just to play together and have fun and enjoy the season for fun and not necessarily for work."

What she said after the All-Star Game:
"It was a great opportunity for me to play in the All-Star Game, because not everybody gets to play. For me to be able to do it once again is very gratifying for me."

Tina's Stats: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals in 19 minutes

WNBA All-Star 2002: Washington

What she said before the All-Star Game:
"D.C. is one of the places that I enjoy coming to play. I mean the fans here are awesome. They're great. The fans here are not just fans of the Mystics, they're women's basketball fans in general. I find myself in awe of their love of the game and that so many times when I have played here the fans are cheering. Not necessarily for the Mystics, but for women's basketball overall.

What she said after the All-Star Game:
"Oh, gosh, it was exciting; a lot of fun. It was definitely a fan-friendly game. I think that every enjoyed the back and forth, the lead changes. The East gave us a run for our money. But we are excited with the positive finish."

Copyright 2003 WNBA Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of
WNBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By
accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the
WNBA.com Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Employment opportunities